The Tree Care Industry and COVID-19

Sample Message to send to your Clients:
Our company is doing the utmost to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of our clients, our workers, and the community.

As a result, we are asking for your cooperation by taking the following precautions:

 

Here are some model policies you can use, please be sure to vet all policies and messages with your local authorities to ensure accuracy and adherence to any guidelines and regulations. Please feel free to use this information as your own.

Sample Message to send to your Clients:

• • Before a sales call, please mark the trees in question with a ribbon, or whatever you have handy.
• • Our salespeople will not be knocking on your door, please do not go out of your house to greet them, simply be ready to use your phone to answer the sale’s persons questions from within your house.
• • If you are able, be prepared to use face time, google duo or similar feature to help the salesperson understand your tree care needs.
• • Please respond promptly to any work verification emails or calls if asked.
• • In general, you do not need to be present when the crew arrives.
• • If you are home when the crew arrives, please stay in your house. If the salesperson or crew leader has any questions, they will call you. Please be prepared to answer the phone if they do call.
• • If for any reason, you are outside or otherwise meet our crews in person, please practice social distancing by keeping 3-6 feet away.

Model Policies to Send to your Crewmembers Regarding COVID-19

Here are some model policies you can use, please be sure to vet all policies and messages with your local authorities to ensure accuracy and adherence to any guidelines and regulations. Please feel free to use this information as your own.

Sample Message to Send to your Employees:
Our company is doing the utmost to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of our clients, our workers, and the community.

As a result, we are asking for your cooperation by taking the following precautions:

• • Avoid shaking hands of coworkers and clients
• • Practice social distancing by keeping 3 to 6 feet away from others
• • Do not come to work if you are sick
• • Wash hands frequently, for a 20-second duration
• • Do not enter the office area if you do not need to.
• • Do not enter the shop area if you do not need to, staying outdoors in the yard is better
• • Do not make any extra stops for gas or food
• • Clean equipment after each use with materials provided
• • Avoid sharing hand equipment and tools when possible
• • Salespeople and crew leaders should not knock on client’s doors
• • Salespeople and crew leaders will use cell phones to talk with clients onsite
• • If the client is able, use face time, google duo or another method to tour the client’s yard and handle more complex issues
• • If the client insists on talking to you directly and/or closely, does not practice social distancing, or has an obvious cold/sickness, politely disengage and call your salesperson or the office or assistance

• The purpose of this email is to provide several valuable tips that may assist you if your revenues and earnings are challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

  • The single most important thing that you can do is to truly understand your cash flow.  It’s imperative to know when you will collect on your A/R and when you must make payment on your payables.
  • The best way to understand your cash flow is to do a cash flow projection that looks out 13 weeks into the future and is updated weekly.  The “13 week cash flow projection” will allow you to see problems before you have a cash crunch.  This enables you to plan for it and protect your business.
  • Talk to your customers so you can learn if they will be making their payments to you in the same time-frame as they have in the past.  If they slow down payments, it may cause a cash crunch, and you need to understand this before it occurs.
  • Seek to defer payments to your vendors whenever possible, since this will build your cash position.  Consider the following:
    • Many landlords may be willing to defer rent payments.
    • Many banks are starting to defer loan payments for up to 90 days.
    • The big three health insurers are discussing insurance payment deferrals by 90 days
    • Contact your key suppliers who may be able to extend payment terms
  • If your projected cash flow is going to be insufficient to pay your bills as they come due, then consider the following:
    • The SBA has a new package of loans of up to $2 million
    • Talk to your Bank about additional extensions of credit
    • While the final stimulus plan is not complete yet, there are currently provisions written in for banks and government institutions to allow for a 90 day moratorium on key payments due.  Communicate with your accounting resources to make sure your are up to date on all possible payment delays available to you.

  These are certainly trying times, but understanding your cash flow and opportunities to enhance it will protect you and your company.